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Anthony Awards 2023

The 2023 Anthony Awards went to Crime Hits Home: A Collection of Stories from Crime Fiction’s Top Authors by S.J. Rozan (Best Anthology or Collection), Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade by Nancy Springer (Best Children's/Young Adult) and The Life of Crime: Detecting the History of Mysteries and Their Creators by Martin Edwards (Best Critical/Nonfiction Work), with winners in 5 more categories. 44 books were nominated across 8 categories.

Winners

Best Anthology or Collection

  1. Crime Hits Home: A Collection of Stories from Crime Fiction’s Top Authors by S.J. Rozansource (opens in a new tab)

Best Children's/Young Adult

  1. Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade by Nancy Springersource (opens in a new tab)

Best Critical/Nonfiction Work

  1. The Life of Crime: Detecting the History of Mysteries and Their Creators by Martin Edwardssource (opens in a new tab)

Best First Novel

  1. The Maid by Nita Prosesource (opens in a new tab)

Best Historical Novel

  1. Anywhere You Run by Wanda M. Morrissource (opens in a new tab)

Best Humorous Novel

  1. Scot in a Trap by Catriona McPhersonsource (opens in a new tab)

Best Novel

  1. Like a Sister by Kellye Garrettsource (opens in a new tab)

Best Paperback Original

  1. The Quarry Girls by Jess Loureysource (opens in a new tab)

Nominees

Best Anthology or Collection

  1. Land of 10,000 Thrills: Bouchercon Anthology 2022 by Greg Herrensource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Lawyers, Guns, and Money: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of Warren Zevon by Libby Cudmore and Art Taylorsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Low Down Dirty Vote Volume 3: The Color of My Vote by Mysti Berrysource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Paranoia Blues: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Paul Simon by Josh Pachtersource (opens in a new tab)

Best Children's/Young Adult

  1. #shedeservedit by Greg Herrensource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Daybreak on Raven Island by Fleur Bradleysource (opens in a new tab)
  3. In Myrtle Peril by Elizabeth C. Buncesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The New Girl by Jesse Q. Sutantosource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Vanish Me by Lee Matthew Goldbergsource (opens in a new tab)

Best Critical/Nonfiction Work

  1. Agatha Christie: An Elusive Woman by Lucy Worsleysource (opens in a new tab)
  2. American Demon: Eliot Ness and the Hunt for America’s Jack the Ripper by Daniel Stashowersource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Promophobia: Taking the Mystery Out of Promoting Crime Fiction by Diane Valleresource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Scoundrel: How a Convicted Murderer Persuaded the Women Who Loved Him, the Conservative Establishment, and the Courts to Set Him Free by Sarah Weinmansource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Alaskan Blonde: Sex, Secrets and the Hollywood Story that Shocked America by James T. Bartlettsource (opens in a new tab)

Best First Novel

  1. Devil’s Chew Toy by Rob Oslersource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Don’t Know Tough by Eli Cranorsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Shutter by Ramona Emersonsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Bangalore Detectives Club by Harini Nagendrasource (opens in a new tab)

Best Historical Novel

  1. Danger on the Atlantic by Erica Ruth Neubauersource (opens in a new tab)
  2. In Place of Fear by Catriona McPhersonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Lavender House by Lev AC Rosensource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Lindbergh Nanny by Mariah Frederickssource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Under a Veiled Moon by Karen Oddensource (opens in a new tab)

Best Humorous Novel

  1. A Streetcar Named Murder by T.G. Herrensource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Bayou Book Thief by Ellen Byronsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking by Raquel V. Reyessource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Death by Bubble Tea by Jennifer J. Chowsource (opens in a new tab)

Best Novel

  1. A World of Curiosities by Louise Pennysource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Secret Identity by Alex Segurasource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osmansource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesiassource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Maid by Nita Prosesource (opens in a new tab)

Best Paperback Original

  1. Dead Drop by James L’Etoilesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Hush Hush by Gabriel Valjansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. In the Dark We Forget by Sandra SG Wongsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Real Bad Things by Kelly J. Fordsource (opens in a new tab)

About the Anthony Awards

Book categories only; short story, novella, cover art, audiobook narration, TV, website, fan and service awards are skipped. Year is the Bouchercon year. Sources: Bouchercon's own winners-and-nominees pages for 2006-2019, 2023 and 2024; bouchercon.com has no pages for 2020-2022 or 2025, so those years come from Stop, You're Killing Me! (stopyourekillingme.com), with winners checked against Wikipedia and 2025 press reports. Three official cells are wrong or short and cite Stop, You're Killing Me! instead: 2009 Paperback Original (official page repeats Scot & Soda, a 2020 nominee), 2023 Best Novel (official page omits finalist The Maid), and 2024 Anthology (official page omits Happiness Is a Warm Gun). Stable category names: Best Novel was Best Hardcover Novel in 2021 and 2023-2025; Best Paperback Original became Paperback/E-book/Audiobook Original from 2021; Best Children's/Young Adult covers the Children's/YA, Young Adult (2016, 2020) and Juvenile/YA labels; Best Humorous Novel was Cozy/Humorous in 2025. Categories that did not run in a year have count 0. The 2015 Critical/Nonfiction nominee Dru's Book Musings is a website but is listed as the organization named it.

Organization: Bouchercon. Years are award years, which can differ from publication years. Official site (opens in a new tab)

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